1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water faucet which is used for a kitchen and supplies water.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a common water faucet used for a kitchen, the one described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-170135 is known. When used, this water faucet is mounted on an upper surface of a kitchen, etc.; a part of the water faucet extends toward a sink side of the kitchen and is provided with a showerhead at the leading end. Multiple water spray holes are bored in the lower surface of the showerhead, and streams discharged through the water spray holes are supplied in the form of a shower downward to the sink.
The water faucet described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-170135 has a problem in terms of work efficiency. That is, since the showerhead overhangs the sink and supplies a shower stream almost directly downward, a large piece to wash cannot be disposed within the space between the sink and the showerhead and the washing work becomes difficult.
As a solution to the above work efficiency problem, a water faucet described in Japanese Patent No. 4449083 has been proposed. This water faucet includes a water discharge part which extends upward with an inclination toward a user side, and multiple water spray holes are bored in the sink-side outer surface of this water discharge part. Streams discharged through the water spray holes are supplied as a shower stream obliquely downward to the front side of where the user stands.
The shower stream supplied with an inclination from the water discharge part passes obliquely through a washing area, which is the middle part between the sink front surface and the sink back surface and in which the user performs washing work. Thus, it is possible to secure a large space, unobstructed by the water discharge part, above the washing area. This makes it easier to dispose even a large piece to wash within the washing area and perform the washing work.
The water faucet described in Japanese Patent No. 4449083 requires that the flow velocity of the stream discharged from each of the multiple water spray holes be equal to or higher than a predetermined value. This is because when the flow velocity is below the predetermined value, the shower stream fails to reach the washing area and instead passes through the sink back surface side behind the washing area. This requirement is characteristic of the form of the water faucet which supplies a shower stream obliquely downward to the front side; such a requirement is not imposed on the form of the water faucet, like the one described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-170135, which supplies a shower stream almost directly downward from the showerhead.
The simplest way to achieve the flow velocity of the stream discharged from each water spray hole which is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, at which the shower stream can reach the washing area, is to make the total cross-sectional area of the multiple water spray holes and the cross-sectional area of each water spray hole relatively small. In this case, however, a stream having a small cross-sectional area (thin stream) is discharged from each water spray hole, and this stream keeps landing on a piece to wash almost at the same position therein, which makes it difficult, for example, to scrape dirt off the piece to wash.
Having been made in view of such problems, the present invention aims to provide a water faucet which allows a large space to be secured above the washing area and yet can deliver a high washing performance by landing streams or waterdrops having a large cross-sectional area evenly on a piece to wash.